Improvement in harvester-rakes



H. E. PRIDMORE.

HARVESTER-BAKE.

Patented Aug. 29, 1876'.

Fang;y f

' Illu UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. PRIDMOBE, OF BROCKPORT, NEW YORK.' A

IMPROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 181,538, dated August 29, 1876; application filed April 1, 1876.

To all whom it may concern: z Be it known that I, HENRY E. PRIDMORE, of Brockport, in the county of Monroe and AState of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reel-Rakes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 isa plan view of the head H, carryingthe rake-arms A and the cam T. Fig. 2 is an inverted view of a portion of the cam T, showing the lever c and other parts. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my invention, the view being taken lin the direction of the arrow y in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is similar to Fig. 2, showing anotherposition of the lever c and other parts. Fig.'5 is an elevation of some ofthe parts under the cam T, the View being taken in the direction of the arrow y1 in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is another view of the parts shown in Fig. 5,

Vviewed from an opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow y2 in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 shows detached portions of the pivoted end of a rake-arm and roller, a. `Fig. 8 shows more clearly the trip-latch b, pivoted to the guide s under the cam T. Fig. 9 is a modification of A the guide s.

. My invention relates to that class of harvester-rakes known as revolving reel-rakes,?

in which a proper motion is given to the rakesy of novel construction, operated by' a latch, au-

tomatically or otherwise. e

In the drawings, Fig. 1 shows the driving- -head H, rake-arms A, and track or cam T as of ordinary construction. The dotted line K shows the line of the cut, and the arrow 'ys the advance.

l The switch S rests upon the horizontal web portion of the cam T, to which it is pivoted by a short shaft orstem, g, rigidly fastened in the switch, and extending vertically down through the said cam. The .switch S, as is the case in this class of rakes, has two positions-open, as shown in full lines, and closed, as shown in dotted lines, the use of which is well understood. To the lower end of the stem g the twojarmed washer r is rigidlyfastened, Figs. 2 and 3, the said washer and switch moving together as if of one piece.

To the vertical shaft C the 'spiral cylinder or` hub B is fastened, at a short distance beneath the cam T. The convex surface of the hub B is furrowed by several parallel and independent spiral grooves, each traversing the length of the hub at a singley turn. The bifurcated lever c, Figs. 2 and 3` is provided with a prong, which is hooked through a hole, e, in an arm of the washer r, forming therewith a free, .universally-working joint. One branch, f, of the lever c reaches through a slot in the guide s, while the Jcorresponding branch f points directlytoward the spiral hub B.

The switch S, as shown by dotted lines in the inverted View, Fig. 2,.stands open, the corresponding position of the washer r and lever'o being shown in full lines, the slightly-l tilted position of the latter`being shown in Fig, in which a branch of t'he same is shown resting upon the arm c1 of the washer r. `As ak roller attached to a rake-arm enters the open switch, iteventually presses upon the heel It of the same, which stands across its way, and closes the switch, as shown in dotted position in Fig. 1.

By observing Fig. 2, it will be understood that, as the point of the switch moves shut, the arm e of the washer r will be carried inf a corresponding direction, carrying the lever c with it, by which movement the end of the branch vor legj of the said lever will be forced into one of the spiral grooves of the hub B.

It Will also be seen that the arm c1 of the Washer, moving backward or in the opposite direction, will reach theshoulder t', when that part o'f the lever c will drop slightly, (see Fig. ,3,).tl1e ledge o catching upon the armcl. "This new position of vthe lever c and washerr, cor.

responding to the switch when closed, is shown in Figs. '4. and 5, in which position the switchis temporarily locked shut.

k is a spring pressing against an upturned portion of the washer r, Fig. 3,l the use4 of 1 which is to open the switch as soon as the same is unlocked by the shoulder t' and arm cl becoming disengaged. The tendency ofthe spring is to hold the point of the switch open and against the stop n, Figs. 1 and 3.

As the spiral hub B, Figs. 5 and 6, slowly revolves, the legs f andf of the lever are carried upward, the former along a spiral groove in the hub B, and the latter along the vertical slot in the guide s, Fig. 3. The two points of bearing z' and e, between the lever c and `arms of the washer r, form temporary' pivot-points, upon which the lever turns in its upward movement. N ow, if the upward motion of the leg f along the slot in the guide s is stopped at any point, the leg f will continue its motion upthe spiral, and the pivotpoints of the lever c above mentioned will suddenly change from i and c to e and the point of contact between the leg f and the obstruction that stops it. The effect of this is to cause the side of the lever c nearestthe observer, as shown in Fig. 5,to rise bodily, which disengages the arm c1 ofthe-washer w', or trips 7 the lever, when the spring lf: immediately opens the switch and allows theroller w of the approaching rake-arm to pass in and the rake to clear the platform. When the lever is tripped, it falls and assumes the position shown in. Fig. 3, the leg f resting upon the bottom of the slot in the guide s.

. In order that the upward motion ofthe leg j' may beconveniently arrested at any point, I design to use a stop-latch, b, constructed substantially as shown in Fig. 8, lying against and pivoted to the guide s. This stop-latch or stop b has its middleportion cut out, leaving the teeth e1,&c.,on one inner side, and a',

&c., on the opposing inner side.

rEhe lower end of the guide sis elongated laterally, and perforated with as many holes il, &c., as there are teeth e1, &c., in the stop b. These holes are for the purpose of receiving a pin,j, against which the lugp of the stop-latch Z rests, being held thereat by the counterweighted portion Zof said stop-latch.

The stop-latch b is so constructed that when the lug p rests against the pin inserted in the hole il the tooth e1 stands across the slot 'v in the stud and forms a stop for the leg f. When the pin is removed to the hole 2 the tooth e2 comes in position to stop the same, and when inserted in the hole i? the tooth e3 formsthe stop for the said leg. Every time the leg f isstopped thelever c is tripped, and one rake is allowed to rake the platform, which, however,as the roller a passes within thez switch, recloses the same, and the succeeding rakes only reel the standing grain till thelever is again tripped.

I` prefer to use ve rakes, and to so locate the toothel that the lever will be tripped at regular intervals, allowing but one ofthe five tolrake the platform, and by properly arranging other teeth, e2 e3, 85o., I am enabled to cause the lever to trip sooner, and allow every fourth, third, or secondV rake to regularly and.

automatically rake the platform.

The rod D, attached vto the stop-latch b at l, is intended to reach to a pedal located conveniently for .the foot of the driver, who at any time may trip the lever out of its regular time by throwingthe teeth a', 85e., across the slot r in the stud. v

If necessary to use the rakes only to reel the grain, the driver, by means of the rod D and pedal, may bring the space u of the stoplatch b opposite the slot c, and deprive the leg fofany stop, duringwhich the lever will remain untripped, and the switch consequently closed, the rakes acting only as a reel. I also design to provide' a suitable stop or catch for holding the stop-latchbiin thispo.- sition, and relievethe driver from the constant exertion otherwise necessary.

If it is necessary for `every rake to clear the platform, asis-thc casein swathingP the grain, I design to replace the switch` S by one having no heel h, inwhich case the switch will remain open, allowing each roller w to pass through.

t is aspring, fastened tothe under surface of the cam CD, reaching to the spiral hub B, against which the leg f presses asiit is carried near the topof the said hub, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6. As the leg f iscarriedi up over the end c2 of a spiral, this spring forces it down upon the next spiral, up which it rides, and so is forced down upon the next. This operation takes place only when thelever c is not intended `to tripthat is, when the rakes are operated asa reel only, asabove described.

When theleg f drops from theend ot'f one spiral down to the next, the leg f drops `suiciently lowto becaught under one of the stop-teeth e1 or a," wereit presented and the leg f', riding from the end of one spiral up the next, rises suciently to trip the leverc, as above described, in case a stop-tooth is thrown in the wayof the leg f.

Fig. 9` shows another form of guide that it may be convenient touse, having teeth formed.

en the sideof the slot, using a triplatch, b,

arranged" so as tov draw the leg f of the. lever under the teeth to stop it. e

I do not intend to confine myseltl toiavf shaped' spiral upon the surface ofthe cylinder B, as it may be desirable toA employ aspiral of rectangular crosslsection,oron e havingithe inclinationall on one sidejii i.

l. In a reel-rake, a cylinder, B, revolving with the shaft C, having its convex` `surface spirally furrowed, for thepurpose set forth.

2. A bifurcated lever,` c, in combination with the spirally-furrowed cylinderl B and stop-latch b, substantially` as shown, andffor the purpose set forth.

3. A stop-latch, b, provided with stops e1 and a', &c.', for the purpose set forth.

4. A washer, r, provided with arms e and 151,538 v l s c1, in combination with the switch S, stem g', A 6. A stop-pin, y', in combination with a. stoptripping-lever c, cylinder B, and spring k, sub` latch, b, and. stud s, substantially as and for stantially as shown and described. the purpose set forth.

5. A pendent slotted guide, s, -with or with- H. E. PRIDMORE. out notches o, employed to guide the branch Witnesses: y v f of the lever c, substantially as shown and E. B. WHITMQRE, described. A HENRY H. LATZ. 

